Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Cold Galore

Ever fallen in love with an illustration? The cute little snow pixie gracing Westinghouse Refrigerator's"Recipes, Care, and Use" booklet from 1949 is an adorable key art example of how to warm things up in what could've been an otherwise typically dull 40-page owner appliance manuel. And like most wonderful things from the Great White North, her inclusion here certainly makes this booklet that much more fun and memorable (especially so today, as STL gets pummelled in what some are calling the worst ice storm in over 20 years... lucky us.)

I like her too. But what I love is that the manual depicts the refrigerator stocked. I think this is a wonderful way to demonstrate the use of the fridge, but I somehow can't imagine modern technical guides actually depicting products and leftovers and stuff.

Also I can't tell in the scan if that's a half-toned B/W painting or photograph. I can sort of see it both ways. Can you tell looking at the original?

>can't tell in the scan if that's a half-toned B/W painting or photograph.

It's hard to tell even looking at the booklet page itself under direct light, but I believe it's probably a photograph, and possibly a very talented illustrator went over it and sharpened the shit out of everything.

About Me

(aka Steve Banes) Editor / co-editor of IDW's Chilling Archives of Horror Comic Books: ZOMBIES, RETURN OF THE ZOMBIES, DEVIL TALES, and MUMMIES, as well as co-host of the bi-monthly HAUNTED HORROR comic series and HAUNTED LOVE miniseries. (All image scans and photography by me from items found in my own personal collection-- except where noted.)